The non-governmental organization Help and Shelter says it will strenuously and actively oppose any attempt to retain convicted sex felon Dr Vishwamintra Persaud as a medical doctor in Guyana.
Help and Shelter, which counsels and helps persons who have been sexually, physically and mentally abused, was responding to a news item in the SN edition of November 13th where the Medical Director of the Georgetown Public Hospital, Dr Madan Rambarran said Dr Persaud would remain employed since based on the report of his supervisor the hospital had no reason to believe that he posed any risk to any of his patients and the population at large. Dr Rambarran also said that the medical council had been aware of Dr Persaud’s conviction before he was allowed to practise at the GPHC, something the new council is denying. Below is an edited version of the Help and Shelter statement.
“The statement of Dr. Madan Rambarran, Director of Medical Services, in SN of 13/11/2010 in relation to Vishwamintra Persaud must have every concerned parent, child and citizen in Guyana outraged, fearful and dismayed. It would appear that the murder of Neesa Gopaul, which exposed the glaring deficiencies in the system for protection and safety of children, has been utterly unheeded by Dr. Madan Rambarran, the Ministry of Health and possibly the Medical Council of Guyana.
Help & Shelter will actively and strenuously oppose and advocate against the continued employment of Dr. Persaud as a medical doctor in Guyana. Dr. Persaud, as we know, was tried and convicted for the sexual assault of a young girl over the course of 3 years in the USA and was only caught because the child victim spoke out against her despicable abuse. As a result of his crime Dr. Persaud’s medical licence was revoked. Help & Shelter finds it completely unacceptable that a convicted child abuser should be allowed access to parents and children through his practice as a doctor. This would be putting the children of Guyana, especially the sick and vulnerable and their families, in serious harm’s way.
Help & Shelter also does not have any confidence in Dr. Madan Rambarran’s or the MOH’s assertions that “supervision” would address and prevent other possible sexual assaults of minors taking place in or out of the hospital or other medical setting. This is far too much of a risk for the citizens of Guyana and is particularly offensive in its reckless minimizing of the physical and psychological harm that survivors of child sexual abuse have to live with for the rest of their lives.
The employment by Dr Madan Rambarran and the Ministry of Health of a known child sexual offender is in breach of the new Sexual Offences Act, which seeks to prevent the employment of convicted sexual offenders in jobs where they have access and are in positions of trust with respect to children Section 19(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2010 includes in positions of trust where “the accused looks after persons who are accommodated and cared for in one of the following institutions (i) hospital (ii) an independent clinic.” Further, section 35 (1) states “Any conduct or act done by a resident or citizen of Guyana in a country or territory outside of Guyana shall be deemed to be a sexual offence under the law of Guyana if (a) constituted an offence under the law in force in that country or territory (b) would constitute a sexual offence under this Act had it been committed in Guyana.”
The greatest of care must be taken to ensure that medical care does not result in human rights violations of bodies and minds of innocent children. The MOH would do well to educate itself and all its practitioners about the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act, especially doctors, Medexes and nurses are frontline workers in the prevention of sexual abuse and treatment of victims and survivors.
We call on the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation to make public the arrangements that are in place to ensure that no known sex offenders from any country are working in places where they could easily find other victims.
We also call on the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to ensure compliance with all applicable laws relating to the protection of children who are in the care of the state, especially at the public hospitals.”
